Nerve Blocks

What are nerve blocks?

A nerve block is an outpatient procedure that provides near-instant relief from acute or chronic nerve pain. 

During treatment, your Englewood Cliffs Surgery Center provider injects pain medication into a specific nerve or group of nerves. The medication reduces inflammation and relieves pain for weeks or months.

What are nerve blocks used for?

Englewood Cliffs Surgery Center uses nerve blocks for several reasons, including:

Pain relief

A therapeutic nerve block aims to relieve acute or chronic nerve pain. More specifically, it reduces inflammation so your damaged nerves can heal. 

Diagnostics

Your Englewood Cliffs Surgery Center provider might recommend a therapeutic nerve block if you have nerve pain but can’t identify its source. 

With a therapeutic nerve block, they inject medication into a specific nerve or nerve group. If you experience pain relief afterward, it means the targeted nerve (or nerves) was the source of your pain. If your pain continues, it means it has a different source.

Anesthesia

Anesthetic nerve blocks help manage pain during minor surgical procedures. The nerve block numbs the nerves in and around the treatment site, so you don’t need general anesthesia. 

Are there different types of nerve blocks?

Englewood Cliffs Surgery Center provides various nerve blocks, including:

• Epidural nerve blocks (for lower back, leg, and abdominal pain)
• Medial branch nerve blocks (for arthritic joints and lower back pain)
• Lumbar sympathetic nerve blocks (for sciatica and lower back pain)
• Celiac plexus nerve blocks (for pelvic pain)
• Trigeminal nerve blocks (for headaches and facial pain)
• Facet joint nerve blocks (for lower back and pelvic pain)
• Occipital nerve blocks (for chronic migraines)

The type of nerve block that most benefits you depends on the location and severity of your nerve pain.

What does getting a nerve block involve?

A nerve block is a quick outpatient procedure.

Your provider has you lie down on an exam table and position your body so they can easily access the injection site. They administer a mild sedative with an IV to help you relax and use X-ray imaging to guide a needle with pain medication to a specific nerve or nerve group.

Once the needle is in position, your provider injects the medication as close to the affected nerve (or nerves) as possible. 

Call Englewood Cliffs Surgery Center today to schedule a nerve block consultation.